iPhone case with a Magnetic Closure... Good or bad?

This answer is very wrong.

I have had nothing but problems with the iPhone when a magnetic case was on. I use the compass to set my Satellite Dish when I am traveling. It took me a month to figure out why the commas did not move. Which makes me an idiot not thinking a Magnet would effect a compass. :-) Then I started thinking about many other programs that used internal sensors that no longer functioned. Flight24 which is an airplane taking program had stopped working during this time and I just stoped using it. (Also the Magnet.) Many other programs like several Virtual Reality program stoped working. Not worth giving up the functionality for a magnetic case.

No. A magnet will have no effect on your iPhone.

Allan

I don't understand why they would tell you that. There nothing magnetic inside it to be effected.

I see it just the same as the magnetic cover for the iPad.

I think you just manage to find a dud at Apple.

Allan

No, he's right. A magnetic closure on a case will have no effect at all on the phone. There is nothing in the phone that is sensitive to magnetism.

You never stated anything earlier about Compass so I was talking about the magnetic case not having an effect on the iPhone itself. If you are attempting to use Compass of course that will have an effect since there is no way for the weak magnetic field of the earth to override the magnetic field of the case. So if you want to use Compass then don't use the magnetic case. If you want to use the magnetic case then don't use Compass. Simple.

You can't have it both ways.

I still stand by my original position the magnetic case will not effect the iPhone.

Allan

I use a iPad style magnetic back on my iPhone (folds up as a stand and can be used to support its weight on metal surfaces) and tested maps, compass and GPS navigation software, and found no change in the performance or accuracy. Mind you the magnets on the case are about 1mm thick and run the whole length on the back and obviously the metal lining on the actual case to have that magnet on. So I doubt a magnetic latch will have any affect. Allan is right and does not affect the phone hardware either. You did get a dud informing you! lol

I think you are thinking of normal compass. iPhone's do not use the earths magnetic field to work the compass app it uses the gps system in the phone. I thought that was common knoledge.

You are responding to a post made over three years ago, and you are wrong.

The iPhone compass responds to magnetic fields. Wave a magnet about in its proximity. That was easily proven, wasn't it? http://science.opposingviews.com/digital-compass-iphone-18046.html

GPS defines position, not orientation. A satnav equipped car does not know which way it is facing until it moves, and can then calculate direction from the change in position.

Actually, I just got a new case for my iPhone 4. It has a magnetic closure. And I just tested it, and it doesn't seem to affect the true north detection. I haven't tried it with a stronger magnet, so perhaps at a certain strength level there is an effect. But in my case (pun intended), no effect. And this is actually a pretty inexpensive case. Got it for $5, and it came with a stylus, screen protector, cleaning cloth and a spare USB cable. So, it's definitely not a 'high-end' case. I would imagine a better case with a magnetic closure would be even better designed and take that into consideration. But YMMV.

Hi,

I can see this is now and old thread but it came up whilst I was looking for positive and sensible answers to iPhone magnetic cases. I wasn't able to find any, so below is my two penny's worth, but in short don't buy one!

Hi I recently bought a new from Apple iPhone se, I have since bought 2 cases with magnetic closure, and both affect the accuracy of the compass. One was relatively cheap at £7.99 it has magnets in the front and back powerful enough to pick up a tea spoon. With the phone in this case the comapss reads approximately 180 degrees out! You would be heading south if you followed the North pointing reading! Taken out of the case and "rebooted" it reads true on both magnetic and true North. I bought another more expensive case at around £20 with no mention in the literature that it had magnetic closure. With the iPhone in this case the compas reads approximately 120 degrees out of true. Again out of the case and rebooted the compass readings are accurate. I conclude from these findings that magnetic cases most definitely do have an adverse effect on the compass readings, and it is reasonable to assume that the case may well affect maps and other location services. I have a cheap and nasty 99p case with no magnets, in which the phone and compass works perfectly.

My advice to anyone lost on Dartmoor or anywhere else on a cold night, would be to remove your iPhone from its magnetic case, reboot the phone. If you can gat a gps fix the phone maps should show you the way home. No gps fix, an old fashioned paper map, assuming you can read it, together with the iPhone compass should get you to safety. BTW place the offending case in the bins provided : )

Do you feel better correcting a 5 year old answer? And they asked if it would harm their iPhone, interfering with the compass will not damage the iPhone.